by Arunabha Sengupta
Old Trafford, 1955.
He walked in at 245 for 5, the match in balance. A four and a six off Trevor Bailey got him going. Peeping studiously through his spectacles, he was satisfied that he was seeing them well. He proceeded to play the only way he knew—he should either be making runs or making way for others.
Sometimes Lock beat him with his turn, but Paul Winslow remained nonplussed. His driving was ferocious, his lofts outrageous. And Titmus was hit for two fours and a six off successive balls, underlining his total dominance.
However, it was at 96 that he carved a niche for himself. Two balls to go for tea, Lock running in. Winslow used his height, his reach, his remarkable sense of timing when things were going well for him, and straight drove the left-armer for a towering six. His six previous Test knocks had seen a highest of 19. Here he got 108 audacious runs with 13 fours and 3 sixes. It was largely thanks to him that South Africa led by 287.
His role was not over, though. He walked in to bat in the second innings with just about an hour to go with 50 runs required, Roy McLean just run out, the England bowlers trying to keep things tight, the match poised at razor’s edge.
Winslow blocked a few balls. And then drove Bedser hard and high into the crowd. 100 up. The great Surrey bowler lumbered back for the next delivery, and Winslow drove him again. The result was the same.
Peter May brought Frank Tyson back in the attack. Winslow whipped him away, using the scorching pace to send it careening to the square leg fence. He tried to repeat the stroke and played over it. The stumps went flying. Only 16 runs, but in 8 minutes and 8 balls.
Four minutes remained on the clock when John Waite drove Tyson to the long off fence to bring up the win. It would not have happened but for the lusty blows by Winslow, and his sustained aggression in the first innings.
It was a very eventful tour for the batsman from Johannesburg. In East Midlands, 11 actresses had invited 11 Springboks to the Derby Playhouse to watch their play Women of Twilight. At the drinks party after the show, Winslow had fallen for one of the cast, 23-year-old elfin beauty Moira Gray. Ten days later they had been engaged. They were married in October.
Winslow played just 5 Tests in his career and averaged 20.66 in his nine innings. The 19 on debut remained his second highest score.
However, that England tour was special. Very special.
Paul Winslow was born on 21 May 1929.